Laminates of webs, such as films and fibrous webs are known in the art. For example, nonwoven webs are often laminated with polymer films such that they are useful as materials in disposable products such as backsheets on disposable absorbent diapers. In such laminates the nonwoven portion can provide softness while the film portion can provide for fluid impermeability.
Laminates in which nonwoven fibers protrude through a polymer film can be useful for providing an absorbent structure in which the nonwoven acts as the conveyor of fluid from one side of the polymer film to the other. The laminate can be structured such that the fluid collecting side of the laminate is the polymer film and nonwoven fibers protrude through the polymer film to the fluid collecting side of the laminate. For example, in a sanitary napkin or diaper, such a laminate can be practical for use as a topsheet that transports fluid from the body facing surface of the sanitary napkin more deeply into the sanitary napkin towards the absorbent core. If the fibers are structured as tufts in which the fibers comprising the tuft generally converge near the base of the tuft, the convergence of fibers can provide for small capillaries that can aid in transporting the fluid through the topsheet. Further, the fibers protruding through the polymer film can have a pleasant tactile impression.
Depending on the arrangement of the fibers of the nonwoven protruding through the polymer film and the fluid acquired by the tufts, the fibers on the fluid collecting side of the film may retain some fluid in small capillaries that might exist between the fibers. If the laminate is an absorbent article, such a sanitary napkin, diaper, or tampon, this may result in the retained fluid appearing as a stain on the body facing surface of the laminate. Stains of menses, vaginal discharge, urine, and feces may not be viewed favorably by the wearer of the absorbent article. If the laminate is used in a wipe or cleaning device, the retained fluid may be visually perceptible to the user of the device and the user may misinterpret the staining as an indication that the utility of the wipe or cleaning device is exhausted even when such a determination is in reality premature.
With this limitation in mind, there is a continuing unaddressed need for a laminate of a polymer film and fibrous web in which the fibrous web protrudes through the polymer film that has improved capabilities for masking fluid retained in the fibers protruding through the polymer film.